LA - 14-year old girl charged with murder after infant found dead inside tote bag - LIVINGSTON PARISH, Nov 2025

[Clearsky]

Infant found dead inside tote; 14-year-old mother charged, deputies say

A 14-year-old mother faces a murder charge after a baby was found dead in Livingston Parish, deputies said.

www.wafb.com

LIVINGSTON PARISH, La. (WAFB) - A 14-year-old mother faces a murder charge after a baby was found dead in Livingston Parish, deputies said.

 

[Gemmie]

This is so sad on so many points. A 14 yo shouldn't be pregnant in the first place, and if they become pregnant, there are ways to deal with it that don't involve murdering a full term baby.

 

[PromotedPawn]

This is heartbreaking. Poor baby girl, she should have never been in that position now she is facing very serious consequences.

 

[Rolypolyoly]

This is so sad on so many points. A 14 yo shouldn't be pregnant in the first place, and if they become pregnant, there are ways to deal with it that don't involve murdering a full term baby.

Are there though? Not in that parish or most of the state from what I can see

 

[Serononin]

I'd like to know more about the adults in this case. Did they really have no idea their 14-year-old was pregnant? At what point did they find out what had happened? Who took her to the hospital?

I also wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that the father of this baby was an adult man, as so often seems to be the case when things like this happen

 

[Twick]

Horrible that they’re charging a little rape victim like this.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Horrible that they’re charging a little rape victim like this.

She might or might not be a rape victim.

Without more information, I think her parents or guardians need to be held responsible for not knowing she was pregnant nor in labor. I really want to know how they didn't notice a thing the entire pregnancy and labor and birth. Did she spend most of her home life at home all alone? Was she being neglected in some way?

 

[Twick]

She is 14 years old. That is rape. Period.

 

[seasideForest]

She is 14 years old. That is rape. Period.

Would it be rape if the male involved was also 14yo?

I still think it's horrible to charge a 14yo with murder in this type of case anyway. A 14yo doesn't have the resources and knowledge to find an appropriate solution that an 18yo might / should. MOO
I realise this view might not be shared by everybody on WS.

 

[Rolypolyoly]

Would it be rape if the male involved was also 14yo?

I still think it's horrible to charge a 14yo with murder in this type of case anyway. A 14yo doesn't have the resources and knowledge to find an appropriate solution that an 18yo might / should. MOO
I realise this view might not be shared by everybody on WS.

I agree, often we say how kids over a certain age know right from wrong, and of course they do, but we dont take into account that their critical thinking isnt what we believe an adults would be. Their ability to make decisions in very stressful emotional situations in the moment are not fully developed. Impulsiveness is often the leading factor.

I can't imagine how scared she must've been from the minute she knew she was pregnant. 14 years old in a State where abortion is illegal, Im guessing she just buried her head in the sand. Then she went through a traumatic experience, giving birth all alone, may not know about or have any to surrender the baby through safe haven laws, scared and alone.

I cant jump straight to cold blooded murder here.

 

[seasideForest]

I can't imagine how scared she must've been from the minute she knew she was pregnant. 14 years old in a State where abortion is illegal, Im guessing she just buried her head in the sand. Then she went through a traumatic experience, giving birth all alone, may not know about or have any to surrender the baby through safe haven laws, scared and alone.

We still don't know who impregnated her. If it was a close male relative or close family 'friend', she would have felt even more frightened and desperate because often in cases of sexual abuse, the family doesn't want to know and the abuser may threaten an abused child or teen with all sorts of repercussions if she tells anybody. Getting help could be seen as 'telling'. MOO

Maybe charge the parents with neglect instead? For not noticing their 14yo was pregnant. MOO

 

[minneolo]

Age of consent in Louisiana is 17…

 

[Rolypolyoly]

We still don't know who impregnated her. If it was a close male relative or close family 'friend', she would have felt even more frightened and desperate because often in cases of sexual abuse, the family doesn't want to know and the abuser may threaten an abused child or teen with all sorts of repercussions if she tells anybody. Getting help could be seen as 'telling'. MOO

Maybe charge the parents with neglect instead? For not noticing their 14yo was pregnant. MOO

I agree with the first part of your post. As for neglect im not so sure. Its not hard to hide a pregnancy, all sorts of factors can play a part. Bodyshape, fitness, clothing etc, and teens are resourceful and secretive!
Not to mention that these days people know not to comment on other people's bodies, or appearance and unless the parents were seeing her naked, or in any state of undress, which I would like to think isnt the norm, my younger children are 12 and 10 and I certainly avert my eyes if they are undressing anywhere near me, then its reasonable to assume she hid it well enough for them not to realise.

 

[Jo in Calif]

Emergency responders found the deceased baby inside the bag with "extensive injuries to the neck," the statement read.


“Medical Personnel believe the infant was carried to full term, born alive and killed immediately after birth," Sheriff Jason Ard said in the statement. "It is believed the teen did conceal her pregnancy from family."

Girl, 14, Charged with First-Degree Murder After Authorities Find Her Newborn Child Dead Inside a Tote Bag

A 14-year-old girl is facing a first-degree murder charge after her newborn child was found with 'extensive' neck injuries, dead inside a tote bag.

people.com

 

[LittleSeaTree]

Emergency responders found the deceased baby inside the bag with "extensive injuries to the neck," the statement read.


“Medical Personnel believe the infant was carried to full term, born alive and killed immediately after birth," Sheriff Jason Ard said in the statement. "It is believed the teen did conceal her pregnancy from family."

Girl, 14, Charged with First-Degree Murder After Authorities Find Her Newborn Child Dead Inside a Tote Bag

A 14-year-old girl is facing a first-degree murder charge after her newborn child was found with 'extensive' neck injuries, dead inside a tote bag.

people.com

Gut wrenching

 

[seasideForest]

I agree with the first part of your post. As for neglect im not so sure. Its not hard to hide a pregnancy, all sorts of factors can play a part. Bodyshape, fitness, clothing etc, and teens are resourceful and secretive!
Not to mention that these days people know not to comment on other people's bodies, or appearance and unless the parents were seeing her naked, or in any state of undress, which I would like to think isnt the norm, my younger children are 12 and 10 and I certainly avert my eyes if they are undressing anywhere near me, then its reasonable to assume she hid it well enough for them not to realise.

Yes, those are all good points. I stand pretty much corrected.

 

[tlcya]

Emergency responders found the deceased baby inside the bag with "extensive injuries to the neck," the statement read.


“Medical Personnel believe the infant was carried to full term, born alive and killed immediately after birth," Sheriff Jason Ard said in the statement. "It is believed the teen did conceal her pregnancy from family."

Girl, 14, Charged with First-Degree Murder After Authorities Find Her Newborn Child Dead Inside a Tote Bag

A 14-year-old girl is facing a first-degree murder charge after her newborn child was found with 'extensive' neck injuries, dead inside a tote bag.

people.com

I haven't looked at Lousiana's laws about minor offenders. Will she be tried as an adult? Or is there some possibility she will tried as a juvenile? Or any kind of process by which the court can decide to try her as an adult or juvenile?

I don't have enough facts to know how I feel about this. Clearly (to me) she unalived her newborn. But without knowing how she came to be pregnant (teen romance or rape/incest by adult) it's hard to know how to feel about this case.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Even if she hid the pregnancy from her parents, she's only 14. They are responsible for her well-being. She didn't feel she could go to them with this for whatever reason, and gave birth all alone unnoticed. It is so disturbing.

 

[Lisbeth_S]

A few thoughts here:

- Louisiana has a "Romeo and Juliet" exception to statutory rape law, which means a minor who has consensual sex with another minor is not punishable (as long as they are not more than 2 years apart, and they are both older than 13yo if I understand correctly) Source
If this was the case here (not known at this stage) it would not be considered rape.

- If in fact this 14yo was a victim of rape I would think there can be attenuating circumstances to her actions towards the baby (not excusable, but one could argue that a 14yo victim of rape and pregnant as a result would be under significant stress and traumatised enough to do irrational things).
In this sense, the investigation on her behaviours and actions during the pregnancy would be crucial.

- The other option is that an adult (maybe one who is responsible for the pregnancy.....) has helped her or forced her to get rid of the baby to erase the proof of abuse. However I would think that an adult would be able to be a bit smarter in how to dispose of the baby's body and not to get her in a hospital after.

- I'm personally leaning more towards the pregnancy being the unwanted result of a teenage romance. The girl did not want the parents to know, tries to hide the pregnancy and tries to fix the problem on her own

JMO